Information technology (IT) has a strong influence on the automobile industry, and plural IT techniques or abilities are incorporated into a vehicle.
Recently, a vehicle pairing technology may engage with a communication device such as a smartphone so as to provide various services has become common.
Generally, when a vehicle is started, a head unit having a hands-free function via Bluetooth in the vehicle turns on a Bluetooth function, and operates in a pairing standby state. A driver or operator selects an option on a predetermined menu provided by the head unit and the smartphone to thereby perform a pairing process. After the pairing process is completed, the driver or operator can make a call via the hands-free function.
As Bluetooth technology has become widespread, a skilled user having sufficient experience with the Bluetooth technology can precede the pairing process without a problem. However, a user who is a stranger to a Bluetooth technology feels uncomfortable in the conventional pairing process because it is complicated, so the unaccustomed user may not use Bluetooth technology.
Bluetooth pairing technology can be directed to vehicle safety, and bring more convenience to a driver while the driver operates a vehicle.
When a vehicle including a Bluetooth function is sold, a seller helps a setup for a Bluetooth pairing process to a new driver/operator.
However, when the driver/operator has a new mobile device, he or she should register the new mobile device, or remove registration of the old one, to use the Bluetooth function in the vehicle. In this case, since the driver or operator tries to setup a Bluetooth pairing process which can be considered a complicated job, the driver or operator still may experience inconvenience in the Bluetooth function.
Generally, only if a Bluetooth module or function in a mobile device possessed by a driver/operator (or a passenger) is turned on or active, a Bluetooth pairing process with a head unit in a vehicle initiates.
Further, a radio frequency identification (RFID) or a quick response (QR) code is suggested for an automatic Bluetooth pairing process between a vehicle and driver's mobile device having a Bluetooth function. However, a separate technology such as an RFID or a QR code requires additional circuits or modules in a vehicle, and a driver or operator need to understand how to use, control or adjust the additional features or functions. Accordingly, those additional technologies are not effective regarding user convenience and manufacturing costs.
Additionally, there are limitations to registering a mobile device having a Bluetooth function with a vehicle. Particularly, since a Bluetooth pairing process proceeds based on a priority given to each of the registered mobile devices, it can take a long time for a preferred mobile device to engage with a vehicle if the preferred mobile device has a low priority.